Authorizing the Mayor to submit to the United States Government, Department of Housing and Urban Development, an application for a grant under the "Innovative Grants for Community Energy Conservation Program."

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CITY of SOUTH SEND ROGER O. PARENT, Mayor COUNTY -CITY BUILDING • SOUTH BEND, INDIANA 46601 DIVISION OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MARZY T. BAUER Director MEMO STEVEN F. COMPTON Deputy Director TO: Members of the Common C ncil FROM: Marzy Bauer ryn� �` . SUBJECT: Community Energy Awareness Program - Grant Pre Application DATE: May 20, 1980 3 o � 2 Y 1440 County -City Building South Bend, Indiana 46601 (219) 2a4 -9335 The Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Energy recently issued guidelines for a competitive program called "Innovative Grants for Community Energy Conservation." The purpose of the grant is to develop innovative approaches which integrate proven and feasible energy conservation activities and alternative energy supply technologies into housing rehabilitation, neighborhood revitalization and other community and economic development programs. Activities funded through this grant must be elements of a community energy conservation strategy and must address one or more of the following goals: assist low and moderate income persons to con- serve energy, encourage the provision of energy services and supplies, and assist small and /or minority businesses to achieve energy savings. HUD and DOE have allocated a total of $11 million nationally for this one -time grant; 10 -20 proposals will be selected. Needless to say, the com- petition for this grant will be intense, with many communities further along in the energy conservation field than South Bend, able to submit a stronger proposal. Nonetheless, we are requesting authorization to submit a pre -app- lication which, we feel, meets the requirements of the regulations and would have a most beneficial effect on revitalization of our inner city neighborhoods. Our proposal consists of four activities: 1. Energy audits of residential and commercial buildings, performed upon request. 2. Grants, loans and rebates for energy- saving retrofits, funded through existing Bureau of Housing programs, and through this Innovative Grant. 3. Rehabilitation, with special consideration to energy- saving features, of one presently vacant substandard house in each Community Development Neighborhood Strategy Area. 4. New construction of four to five homes on vacant lots within a Neighbor - hood Strategy Area.